A section of the I-95 freeway, one of the busiest and most important in the east of the country, collapsed Sunday in Philadelphia after a fire, with apparently no casualties, authorities said.
Impressive footage from local TV stations showed a vast cloud of black smoke from the blaze, as well as the four lanes of this section of the freeway plunging steeply towards a lesser road running below.
It was on this secondary road that a tanker truck caught fire.
“This morning, a major fire under I-95 (…) caused the freeway to collapse,” confirmed Sarah Peterson, spokeswoman for Philadelphia City Hall, in a statement sent to AFP. .
Firefighters “arrived on the scene and discovered (…) a large fire coming from a vehicle”, added Captain Derek Bowmer, of the Philadelphia firefighters, during a press conference.
The I-95 freeway is a major highway on the east coast of the United States. Its closure at the northeast entrance to Philadelphia, a city of some 1.5 million people, promises to severely disrupt traffic to and from New York.
Its more than 3,000 kilometers connect the state of Maine, in the extreme northeast of the country, to Miami, Florida’s largest city, in the southeast.
“This is a major artery for people and goods, and its closure will have significant consequences for the city and region until reconstruction is complete,” tweeted US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
The Minister specified that the vehicle at the origin of the fire was a tank truck and thanked the firefighters and other rescuers who intervened.
The replacement of the damaged section could take weeks and Mr. Buttigieg warned users, saying to expect a “significant impact on regional traffic”.
“I-95 will be affected for a long, long time,” said Tumar Alexander, general manager of Philadelphia services, quoted by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“City and state departments are working to respond to the impact on area residents and travelers affected by the road closure,” the city spokeswoman said. Sarah Peterson.
US President Joe Biden has been informed of the situation and his teams are in contact with local authorities to provide them with assistance, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Twitter.
Residents told local media they heard several explosions, but no casualties have been reported so far.
The fire was brought under control in the morning and the expressway closed by the police in both directions in the immediate vicinity of the accident, said the city spokeswoman.
11/06/2023 22:28:15 – Washington (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
